


Love the Way You Lie

by Btwixt



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst and Feels, Eventual Smut, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Secrets, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-03-31 23:10:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13985304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Btwixt/pseuds/Btwixt
Summary: FP Jones had been out of jail for a few years and was working hard to get his life back on track. Alison Cooper was a fresh college graduate, back in Riverdale to try to make a difference in the town she grew up in. She needed FP’s help and hoped she could convince him to open up to her. Despite his dangerous history and gruff exterior she was powerfully drawn to him – but how far in the past was his past and how far could she fall?





	1. Conviction

**Author's Note:**

> A fic for all the FP stans out there! (I hope there are a lot of you, because who doesn’t appreciate a man who can get rid of a body for you?) I created an original character for this fic (groan, I know). Just picture another strong, sassy, smart Cooper woman. 
> 
> Hat tip to Nickjciw and Cherlynne for inspiring me with their smoking hot FP fics that you should definitely check out.

The Mayor’s assistant slid a piece of paper across his desk to the woman seated in front of him. “Okay, here’s the last thing. This is the guy you asked about. He’s pretty rough, but he’s the most connected person on the Southside. He’s a former gang member with a prison record but he’s currently clean and the police can’t prove that he has connections to the Serpents. If you can track him down, he’s the definitely the best person to help you out.” 

She reached out and picked up the paper where she saw the words– FP Jones- with a street address she didn’t recognize underneath. The assistant continued, “We don’t have a phone number for him on record, but you can probably find him at his garage – I’ve given you the address – it’s on the Southside so check it out at your own risk”, he said looking at the young blonde woman with concern. 

“Thanks”, she said, bristling a bit at his obvious prejudice against the Southside. She slipped the piece of paper into her purse along with the set of keys he had given her earlier. She shook the assistant’s hand and let herself out of his office as quickly as possible. 

Back out on the street, she felt the early summer sun on her face and paused a moment to feel its comforting warmth while she took a deep breath to brace herself for the challenge ahead of her. 

Alison Cooper was back in Riverdale. Even though she had been away for the past five years at college she was still very attached to the small town and she knew firsthand of the challenges and temptations that kids here faced. She had received funding through the Mayor’s office from some local businesses and an anonymous donor to run an arts program this summer to engage at-risk youth. 

Her parents still lived in Riverdale, in the house she grew up in where she was crashing this summer, and her older sister and her extended family including Uncle Hal and Aunt Alice and her cousins Betty and Polly all lived here too, so she was equal parts excited and determined to get the program up and running to make a difference in her hometown. 

\--------

Since it was mid-day she decided to try dropping by the garage. The building was small but looked well kept, clean and organized and there were two or three cars parked outside and another one inside, parked in the bay. She took a tentative step inside the open door but didn’t see anyone around. 

“Mr. Jones? She called out. 

She was startled when a roughly handsome, late 30s-ish man with salt and pepper slicked back hair and a short scruffy beard suddenly popped up from under the hood of the car. His physical presence was powerful, his height, broad shoulders and the intensity in his eyes, almost made her gasp, she hoped he didn’t the notice the shakey breath she drew before she continued. 

“Hi! I’d like to talk to FP Jones, can you tell me where I can find him?”

“You’re looking at him.” He looked her up and down, the sneer on his face let her know that he was not impressed with what he saw and he turned back to the car. 

“I’m Alison Cooper. I’m working on a program for local youth and I hear that you are the man with all the connections on the Southside.” 

“You heard wrong.” 

She ignored his rudeness and continued, “Can I just talk to you for a few minutes about what we have planned? I really think it could be a great experience for… “ 

He cut her off mid sentence and said “Sorry lady, I’ve got a busy day and I don’t have time for any chit chat.”

He turned and walked toward the office at the back, clearly indicating that, as far as he was concerned, the conversation was over. 

“Ok, I’ll come back tomorrow” she said as brightly as possible to the now empty space. She thought she heard a groan from the office. 

\---------------

Refusing to take no for an answer, Ali returned the next day a few minutes before closing time, so that he wouldn’t be able to use the “too busy” excuse again. She pulled up just as the front door was being rolled down, marking the end of business hours. She approached the door and saw a different man on the other side. He gave her a friendly smile and popped the door back up. 

“Do you need some help miss?”

“I’m looking for FP. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to talk to him for a minute.” 

“I’m crushed it’s not me you are looking for”, he said playfully holding his hand to his heart. “Hang on a sec”. He disappeared into to the back office but returned a few moments later with the smile missing from his bearded face. 

“Sorry miss, he can’t talk to you right now.” 

She was disappointed, but Ali was still not willing to give up. She introduced herself and he in turn, said his name was Johnny. 

“Well Johnny, I guess you will have to take these cookies that I made instead – hope you like chocolate chip.” The smile appeared back on his face and he popped the lid open on the tin that she had handed him and took a huge bite of one of the soft treats. 

“Damn girl, these are good!” Suddenly they heard a booming voice call his name from the back. He lowered his voice. 

“The boss is calling, but you should come to the Wyrm tonight. I’ll be there – and the boss too.” He gave her a little wink and closed the door. 

Johnny headed to the back office where FP was sitting in the chair behind the desk. 

“Did you get rid of her?” 

“Yeah FP but I hated to do it. That was one pretty lady. I could listen to her talk for hours, and do lots of other things for hours too. I know you have a thing for blondes, I’m surprised you shut her down so fast.” 

“She’s too young, an outsider, dangerously stubborn and obviously willing to do whatever it takes to get her own way”, he motioned toward the tin in his friend’s hand. “I don’t need that kind of trouble.” 

Johnny shoved two more cookies in his mouth, raised his hand in mock surrender and walked out of the office. 

\--------

Later that night Ali nervously walked through the doors of the Whyte Wyrm for the first time. She knew the bar by reputation of course – it was a major gang hangout back in the day and by the look of the dingy walls and stained floors, it had seen many spilled beers and who-knows-what-else from frequent bar fights over the years. 

She looked around at the customers at the bar and saw a handful of men that she assumed from their leather jackets were bikers, and she also saw a handful of sexy and strong looking women with heavy eyeliner and dark lipstick. 'No wonder he thinks I’m not worth his time if this is the type of women that he is used to', she thought, feeling her self-confidence slip. But she wasn’t one to back away from a challenge so she focused on her goal and doubled down on her determination to talk to him. 

It was still pretty early so the bar was only half full. She glanced around the room a second time and was relieved to spot FP by the bar. Once again she was struck by the width of his masculine shoulders and damn if he was not wearing an excellent fitting pair of jeans. ‘Too bad about his personality’, she muttered to herself as she determinedly walked toward him. 

“Hi Mr. Jones! She waved enthusiastically at him as she approached the bar. “It’s Alison, I was at the garage to talk to you about the youth program. Do you have a minute for me now?” 

She stood squarely in front of him as he slowly took a swig of his beer and looked her over. His eyes wandered over her faded jean jacket and floral dress that made her stand out from the rest of the bar regulars who were all wearing some variation of black, leather and plaid. 

“Are you a religious freak or something?” he finally asked. 

“No, nothing like that. I just have an idea that I think will be great for the kids around here.” 

He took in her genuine smile, beautiful pleading blue eyes and sighed. Maybe he did have a thing for blondes, he admitted to himself. Plus, judging by the looks she was attracting he knew she wasn’t safe in here for long, and it didn’t seem like she was going to leave him alone until they talked. 

“Ok, let’s head outside, I’ll give you the time it takes me to smoke one cigarette - and for fuck’s sake stop calling me Mr. Jones!” 

As they stepped out a side door, he pulled a smoke from behind his ear, dug a silver lighter out of his jeans pocket and tilted his head as he lit the cigarette. 

“Ok, here’s the thing.” She talked as fast as possible, not wanting to waste any time. “I’ve gathered a group of professional artists to work with the kids in Riverdale – to give them an artistic outlet, to give them somewhere to go this summer, something to take pride in and be a part of. The town has given me a community centre space where we can work on a mural, dance, music, writing, photography whatever they are interested in.” 

She noticed he looked up when she said writing, so knowing that she had his attention she quickly continued. “Don’t mistake my enthusiasm for naiveté FP - I know that your reaction to me is what I can expect from most people around here, especially the kids. That’s why I need you. They need to be invited by someone they already look up to and respect.” 

In the end, they talked for much longer than five minutes as she told him more about the proven benefits of arts programs for youth, the artists who would be involved and the plans for the summer. He wasn’t sure if it was her conviction of the positive effects for the community, or the cute way her cheeks flushed as she talked excitedly about her plans, but he agreed to talk to the local kids on her behalf. 

“You’ll have at least a dozen of Riverdale’s best and baddest there Monday morning. But what happens after that is all up to you.” He reached out to shake her soft hand and finally cracked a small smile as she did a little happy dance right there in the parking lot.

\-------

Sure enough, as promised, a group of kids showed up Monday morning, a few more tagged along Tuesday and by Friday they had a full house of Southside kids working on a variety of projects: designing a mural, writing music, working on filmmaking, photography and poetry. She was filled with pride to see the kids bonding with the team of artists she had assembled. 

She was also very grateful to the man who made it possible – she felt a little disappointed that he hadn’t stopped by. She was hoping he was curious to see the program in action, not because she wanted to see those jeans again. Nope. Definitely not that.


	2. Flickering to Life

A few weeks later Alison dropped by FP’s garage late on a Friday afternoon. Based on past experience, she was nervous about the reception she would receive so she had brought along a cold six-pack of beer as an offering. Riverdale was in the middle of a week-long heatwave but the heat of the day was finally breaking as the sun started to lower in the sky. 

The front door was still open but she couldn’t see anyone in the garage. She crept towards the office where she spotted him sitting at a desk, putting some papers away. He was wearing a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up so she could see his strong forearms with a couple of visible tattoos. She ignored the flip her stomach did when she saw him run one of his hands through his messy hair. 

She knocked quietly. “Mind if I come in?” She held her breath, waiting for his reaction. “I come bearing gifts” – she tentatively held up the beers in front of her. He tilted his head back onto the back of the desk chair for a second and his eyes glanced up at the ceiling as if he was searching for an answer. He leveled back and looked directly into her eyes. It was unnerving but practically a red carpet welcome compared to the first few times she’d shown up at the garage. 

“Hi Alison. Let’s go around back where it’s a bit cooler.” He took the beer from her with a “thanks”, locked up the office and lead her around the side of the garage. There was a small patio with a picnic table and a few scraggly looking lawn chairs set up where they sat and he offered her one of the beers. “Sorry, I don’t have anything fancier to offer you.” 

“This is perfect”, she said, as she happily took the bottle and settled in across from him at the picnic table. “I really want to thank you again for your help. ” She tipped her bottle towards his and they clinked their bottles together and said “cheers”. 

“I’ve heard from a few of the kids that they are having fun. Are they giving you any trouble?” he asked. 

“We definitely have our moments of total chaos. I’ve been in the city for the past five years so I am used to interesting characters but some of those kids could show a native New Yorker a thing or two about attitude.” she said with a grin, obviously fond of her young students. “We are trying to create a collaborative non-authoritative environment for them. It’s expected and understandable that it is going to take some time for them to feel safe enough to really open up and fully express their creativity.”

He caught himself looking at her bright eyes with wonder and quickly looked away. “You really care about them don’t you?”

She nodded and continued, “Yeah, they possess so much untapped potential. There is this one kid, Jughead, who takes the MOST amazing photographs and man, can he ever write. He is blowing our minds with his talent.”

He smiled proudly, still looking down at the table. “That’s my son.” 

She reacted with surprise and reached out to touch his arm. “Really!? Wow FP, he is really, really special. The other kids look up to him too. You and your wife must be very proud.” She hoped her attempt to confirm his marital status was not too obvious. She removed her hand from his arm and wrapped it back around the bottle in front of her. 

“I know, I know.” he said shaking his head. “That boy is something else. I hope this experience helps him find a clear path straight out of this town. I’d do anything to make sure he does not end up like me.” 

“You don’t seem so bad.” 

He paused, looking up at her again, weighing in his mind how much to say. “I’m almost back on track now but I’ve made some pretty bad mistakes that have cost me my marriage, my kids, my freedom. I’m not what you would call an upstanding citizen and certainly not a role model for anyone.” 

“Good people can make bad decisions. I think it’s what’s in your heart that matters.” As she spoke their eyes stayed locked together. She saw his vulnerability and then relief - and then a brief flicker of something hungry. He saw her openness and lack of judgment and for a moment he was lost in her blue depths. 

She hadn’t expected him to be so unguarded – her mind wandered off for a moment as she wondered what was in the heart that he was hiding behind his rough exterior. 

When he finally looked away she was able to focus again and she quietly said, “One of the reasons that I wanted to do this work here in Riverdale is because of my family. We lost my older brother to drugs. He wasn’t a bad person - he had an addiction that he couldn’t control and it almost destroyed my family. If I can prevent anyone else from going down that path, I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure no one else has to go through what we did.”

“I’m really sorry.” was all he could think to say. He had the unusual urge to pull her into his arms to comfort her until all the sadness was gone from her blue eyes. Instead he tried to lighten the mood with an attempt at humour. “Now I get why you were so determined to talk to me. Bribing Johnny with cookies, that was a dirty play Cooper.” 

She smiled, her eyes shining with a few unshed tears. She was amazed that the gruff man who wouldn’t even look at her a few weeks ago was now playfully teasing her. 

His phone beeped. He glanced at it and explained. “Speak of the devil. Johnny and a few of his guys are on their way over. He hangs with a rough crowd so you probably don’t want to be here when they arrive.”

“I definitely don’t want to interfere with boys night.” she said with a smile. They slowly strolled together across the front of the garage towards the driver’s side door of her car. 

“Oh, I almost forgot! I came to see you because want to invite you to an open house we are having at the centre next Saturday evening. It’s a bit of a PR move to get the Mayor and a few sponsors to see the amazing work the kids are doing but I think our young artists are excited about showing off what they are working on to their friends and family too. We couldn’t have done this without your help and I’m sure Jughead will want you to see what he has done. Please say you will come.” 

He chuckled quietly at the thought of a man like him being at an event with the Mayor but then, somewhat reluctantly, agreed be would try to drop by. 

“This summer was a dream of mine and you helped make it happen FP. I’ll always be grateful to you.” She leaned towards him and wrapped her arms around him intending to give him a quick hug. The feel of his solid chest made her slightly breathless and she hoped that he did not notice her sharp inhale when she felt the heat of his hands on her back through the thin material of her summer dress as he returned the hug. She reluctantly released her arms and stepped away but found that his hand lingered on her upper arm, his thumb caressing the bare skin below the sleeve of her dress giving her goosebumps. She glanced down at his lips, then into his dark eyes. He cleared his throat nervously then dropped his hand. 

“Ok. See you next week Alison Cooper.” He turned and walked back towards the garage. 

When he reached a safe distance, he turned back and watched her drive away. He violently ran his fingers through his hair – as he silently gave himself a warning. ‘What are you doing?? A girl like that is not for you. Not. For. You. Not in this life, or any other.’

______

 

A few days before the open house Ali dropped by Pops on her way home from work to finalize the catering order for Saturday night. She took a seat at the counter when Pop waved her over and said “I’ll be with you in a minute Ali. Do you want a strawberry shake while you wait?” 

“Thanks Pop, you know they are my weakness.”

She glanced over her left and then her right shoulder to see who else was in the diner and smiled when she spotted none other than FP sitting a few feet away in one of the booths. He returned her smile and she immediately felt the same shiver as when his touch had lingered on her arm a few days before. She stood up, intending to walk over to say hello and she saw his eyes darken as they swept over her legs, bare to his gaze in the shorts she was wearing. She hadn’t yet taken a step towards him when a shorter woman dressed in black with dirty blonde hair brushed past her and sat down in the booth opposite him. An unexpected pang of disappointment briefly showed in her eyes as she turned back towards the frosty treat that the waitress had just placed on the counter in front of her. 

He reluctantly tore his eyes away from her and looked at the woman who had just joined him in the booth. She glanced back at Ali then asked him. “Who is that poor young thing that you are eye fucking? If she knew what I know about you she’d run as fast as those legs could carry her to the Northside and never look back.” 

“Shut up Penny. It’s not any of your god damn business anymore who I’m fucking with my eyes or anything else. But yes, you are probably right and if she is smart, which I happen to know she is, she should run.” He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Can we just get down to business?” 

They continued their conversation in hushed tones. 

Meanwhile at the counter, Ali was finishing up her order with Pop. She debated whether she should go over to his table or not, but in the end, her small town manners would not let her leave without saying hello, plus if she was being honest, she was more than a little bit curious about who the woman was. 

She took a few steps towards him, feeling a bit awkward as they seemed to be engaged in a fairly intense conversation, but as soon as he saw her approaching he looked up at her right away. 

“Sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to say hi FP.” He smiled up at her then she held out her hand to the woman. “Hi there, I’m Alison Cooper.” 

Penny held out her hand and shook but said. “It’s nice to meet you Northside Barbie, it’s none of your damned business who I am.” 

“For fuck’s sake Penny! Don’t be so paranoid and rude.” he snapped but Penny just shrugged at his reprimand. 

Ali appreciated his reaction but Penny’s words had their intended effect and she was embarrassed to have interrupted them and wanted to get away as quickly as possible. 

“I have to run but, I’ll see you Saturday, right FP?”

“Yes, I’ll be there. I promised Jughead… and you.” 

She smiled at him and for a few seconds they just looked at each other, until a sarcastic snort from Penny drew their attention away. Alison lowered her eyes, quickly said her goodbyes and with a last glance at FP and a wave to Pop, exited the diner. 

“Whooo-boy, she must have a serious daddy kink – I’d say that Northside princess wants it just as bad as you.” Penny said, rolling her eyes. 

He was doubtful of Penny’s pronouncement but as he watched Ali walk across the parking lot he was now resigned to the fact that if she showed any interest at all he was not going to be able to resist her for much longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. That Night

Saturday was a buzz of excitement at the centre with everyone focused on preparing for the open house. Word had spread that there was going to be free food from Pop’s so they were expecting a big turn out from the community. Everyone, including Ali, was busy with rehearsals and setting up displays and refreshments. 

Unfortunately her parents were out of town but Ali’s big sister Jessica and her husband Jason turned up to show some family support. They didn’t look comfortable amongst the crowd of teens and artists and as the event kicked off she found them lurking in a corner by themselves. 

Jess and Ali didn’t see eye to eye on many things except that her two nephews were the most wonderful creatures on the planet. As she greeted her sister and brother-in-law with hugs she said, “Thanks for coming guys! You decided not to bring Noah and Ben?” 

“Um, no, we didn’t think the Southside was a suitable place to bring the children.” Jess replied. 

Not wanting her sister’s attitude to dampen her celebratory mood she was relieved when, right on schedule, the Mayor and her staff entered the room. “Excuse me guys, duty calls!” Ali welcomed and escorted the Mayor as they circulated around the centre and viewed the artwork and the final design for a mural. Despite all the hosting responsibilities she still nervously kept one eye on the door, hoping to see FP when he arrived. 

She was deep in conversation with one of the VPs from the construction company that had donated funds to the program when she felt someone’s eyes on her and she turned her head to see FP looking at her from across the room. She must have missed him come in. She couldn’t help let a wide smile spread across her face as she took in his form in a black button down shirt tucked into (yes!) those jeans. 

She nervously slid her palms down over the long black slip dress she was wearing with her favorite strappy sandals – a look she hoped was somewhere between professional and fuckable. He raised his eyebrows in greeting but before she could respond she realized that she had been asked a question and had to shift her focus back to the boring businessman in front of her. 

She continued with her official duties but her whole body was aware of where FP was in the room at all times. She saw Jughead showing him around – and enjoyed the proud looks on both of their faces. Seeing them together the resemblance was so obvious to her, right down to the way they stood and the way they tilted their heads and rubbed the back of their necks when they were thinking. 

She finally found a few moments to slip away from the Mayor’s entourage and walked over to FP as he was taking a closer look at one of Jug’s photos that they had blown up, printed and hung on the wall. 

“So what do you think? He’s amazing, right?” she asked. 

“He is. And so are you.” Suddenly the rest of the room disappeared and her whole world was just him, looking at her with those warm brown eyes. 

Before she was able find the words to reply, Mimi, one of the artists who was a tiny ball of energy with beautiful black hair approached her and FP. 

“Oh there you are, Luke has been looking for you. Luke, she’s over here!” Mimi called out as she motioned with her hand for the tall, blonde musician to join them. 

Ali politely made introductions, “Did you guys meet Jug’s dad? This is FP.” Mimi started to sing Jughead’s praises but Luke turned his attention to her, touching her arm gently. 

“You look really pretty tonight Ali.” She blushed a bit at the unexpected compliment. “A bunch of us are going out after and I, I mean, we really want you to come.” She was flustered. Normally she would not have minded the attention from the handsome young man, but having the dirty sexy heat of FP standing right next to her as Luke gave her a puppy dog stare – she was 100% sure in that moment which man she would rather be making plans with for later that night. 

“I’m not sure Luke, can we talk about it after?” she replied and glanced over to FP to see if he had noticed Luke’s attempt to flirt with her – he had, and he did not look pleased. 

She spotted her sister and Jason passing through the crowd and used the opportunity to try to move past the awkward moment. 

“Jess! Jason! C’mon over here so I can introduce you to a few people.” The pair shuffled over and joined the group. “Guys this is my sister Jessica and her husband Jason. This is Mimi and Luke, two of our artists.”

Her sister and Jason leaned in to shake hands and exchanged nods. “And this is FP Jones, the father of one of our talented youths and the person we have to thank for getting these kids on board.” 

Her sister’s reaction on hearing FPs name was to clutch her purse closer to her side, smile thinly and say, 

“Ok Jason we have to go, we have a baby sitter at home. Nice to meet you all.” She hauled on Jason’s arm and lead him away. 

Wishing the floor would open up and swallow her, Ali muttered, “Excuse me” and dashed away. She caught up to her sister in the hallway. “Jess that was rude, what is your problem?” 

“You know that FP guy went to jail for covering up a kid’s murder, right? I know you are hell bent on trying to save the world, but Jesus, Ali, you need to watch the kind of people you are associating with.” 

“You have no idea what you are talking about Jess, please just go, I don’t have time for your closed minded shit right now.” Her face was flushed red with anger. As she turned away she bumped into FP who by the look in his eyes had clearly overheard their conversation. 

“Oh FP I am so sorry. Can we talk…” she started, but he cut her off. 

“Forget it. Look, I need to go.” She tried to block him but he brushed past her. She reached out and held onto his arm for a second, giving him a pleading look. Unfortunately, Luke picked that exact moment to find her and put his hand on her bare shoulder. 

“Darlin’, we need you over here – the kids have prepared something for you. Come with me.” 

She looked back at FP. She recognized the blank look on his face from the first time they met in his garage. He was done, with her. 

“Are you sure you have to go?” she asked quietly. 

“Yeah. Thanks for inviting me tonight. See you around Alison.”

She went through the motions for the rest of the evening; clapping with delight at the giant thank you card the kids made for her; meeting the other parents; thanking everyone for coming and pitching in with the clean up but her heart wasn’t in it. 

Luke, Mimi and a few other staff were making plans to continue the party at Luke’s apartment but she bowed out, claiming she had a headache. “You guys go ahead, I’ll lock up here.” 

The others all piled into an Uber and she did one last tour to make sure all the windows were closed then walked to her car in the parking lot. She was searching for her car keys in her purse when a group of guys she didn’t recognize were suddenly all around her. One of them pinned her arms behind her back and another guy put his hand roughly over her mouth as a third man aggressively put his face just inches from her own and snarled at her. 

“Keep your fucking mouth shut lady. We heard there was a party here tonight but it looks like we missed it. Do you want to party with us?” Tears were streaming down her face and she shook her head. “No? That’s too bad, you look like you’d be a good time blondie. Maybe we’ll just take your purse and your car and find our own party then.” 

She heard a deep male voice behind her. “You don’t want to do that boys” 

The guy holding her mouth looked over her shoulder and said “Oh, shit it’s FP.” 

Instantly her arms were released and the guys scattered like bugs exposed to light leaving them alone in the parking lot. He pulled her close, hugging her tightly against his chest. 

“Are you ok Ali? Did those motherfuckers hurt you? 

She was unable to speak for a few minutes, so she just let him hold her, waiting for her heartbeat to return to normal and her knees to stop quaking. 

“You’re ok. You’re safe now. Just breathe. You’re ok,” his gently spoken words comforted her. A couple of tears escaped from the corners of her eyes and she quickly wiped them away as she asked,

“I guess there is no point in calling the police?” 

“I’ll support you if that’s what you want to do. In my experience they won’t do anything about it.”

“Do you know who those guys were?”

“I don’t know exactly who they were but I know where they are from. They obviously forgot whose part of town they are in. There are people other than the police who will deal with them.” 

She thought it over for a few seconds then decided, “Ok, I won’t report it. It will probably just undo all the good that we accomplished tonight anyway.” 

Looking up at him she shyly asked, “Can you come home with me? My parents are away so I’m alone in the house tonight and I think I’ll be too jumpy to sleep.” 

He swallowed thickly at the thought of being alone with her but said “Yes, of course. Are you ok to drive, or do you want to come with me on my bike?”

“I’m ok to drive.” 

He waited while she found her keys and then helped her get into the car, closing the door as she turned the key in the ignition. He crossed the lot to his bike parked around the other side of the building and followed her to her parents’ house. 

Once they were inside she invited him into the living room then went upstairs to get changed. He looked over the family photos hung up on the wall with the three smiling blonde children – from the outside they looked, to someone like him, like the perfect family but he knew now that that was not actually the case. 

She came down the stairs in some comfy shorts and a tank top carrying a few pillows and a thick fluffy duvet that she placed on the couch.

“Do you feel ok? he asked, “Do you think you will have any bruises?” 

“My arms feel a little sore but I don’t think there will be any marks” she said carefully stretching her arms out across her chest one at a time to test her muscles. 

They sat down close to each other on the couch. She felt herself getting emotional again – she suddenly put her face down into her hands to hide her sobbing. He held her, rubbing her back until she could breathe again. “How can I ever thank you FP? What would have happened if you hadn’t shown up when you did tonight?” 

“Shhh,” he replied pulling her over to rest against his chest, “there is no point in worrying about the what-ifs. You’re safe now and that’s all that matters.” He ran his fingers over her hair until her breathing returned to normal. 

“You know," he paused with a small smile on his lips, “I wanted to tell you how beautiful you looked tonight but Luke beat me to it. You guys make a really cute couple.” 

She cringed at the memory. “You know there is nothing going on with Luke and I right?”

“Does that little Jon Bon Jovi wanna-be know that?”

“Jon Bon Jovi!? How old ARE you?” She said with a laugh, suddenly giddy. “Nice 80s rock reference.” More giggles as he rolled his eyes at her. “Couldn’t you at least have name checked Justin Beiber or Harry Styles?”

He was relieved to hear her laugh, even if it was at his expense. “Laugh it up missy. You realize some of those kids you are working with were born only a few years after Obama was first elected right?”

“Oh shit. Yeah. We old.” They laughed together for a moment until something dark crossed her face. 

“What is it?” he asked, nudging her gently. 

“I’m sorry about my sister. I’m so embarrassed about how she treated you.” 

“It’s not your fault.”

“I’m not trying to make excuses for her but,” she sighed deeply and continued, “her reaction to my brother’s death was to make her world as small as possible. She tries to control everything, to shut out anything that isn’t perfect and safe and predicable.”

He nodded with understanding, “I am definitely none of those things.” 

She reached up to touch his face, “No, you are not.”

He pulled her hand away from his face, but slid his fingers between hers and held on to her hand. “It’s true what your sister said you know, I did go to prison for covering up a terrible crime.”

“But you must have been set up or something, right?”

“No, I was guilty and deserved my punishment but I did it because they were threatening my boy so I had no choice. And honestly I’d do the same again, or worse, to keep him safe.”

As their eyes met he could feel the connection between them crackling and he knew it would be so, so easy to lean over and kiss her. But he also knew that she was still emotionally fragile and did not want to take advantage of her vulnerability. So instead he asked, “Are you feeling tired, do you want to try to get some sleep?” 

All of the adrenalin had left her body by now and she was suddenly exhausted from all emotions of the evening. She nodded like a little kid, barely able to keep her eyes open. 

He helped her to her feet “You go on up to your bed. I’ll be right here.”

“Goodnight FP” she said, as she squeezed his hand, still entwined with hers, then let go. 

As she disappeared upstairs he sent Johnny a quick text asking him to track down the Goulies who attacked her then took off his jeans and shirt and settled onto the couch with the pillows and duvet. He was about to nod off when he heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs. He opened his eyes and saw her standing by the couch wiping tears off her face. 

“Everytime I close my eyes I can feel their hands on my face and arms. I need to feel you instead FP. Can I sleep here with you?” 

“Come here”, lifting up the duvet, he let her slide in and curl up against him. “I’ll keep you safe, I promise” he placed a kiss on top of her head before they both drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The smut is coming - I promise!


	4. Temptation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...finally some smut.

When he woke up in the morning he was alone on the couch. In that moment between sleep and consciousness, memories of soft skin and long legs tangled up with his ran through his mind and he was not quite sure if they were a dream or a memory. 

He put his jeans back on with the white tank he slept in and headed into the kitchen where he could hear her running the water to fill the coffee pot. He felt rather proud of himself for getting through the night without giving in to temptation. 

She said good morning when she saw him enter the room, her mind processing that there was currently a half awake FP Jones in her mom’s kitchen. He looked rumpled, scruffy and she’d never seen anything hotter in her life. 

“I’m just making some coffee, do you want some?” she asked. 

“That would be great, thanks.”

She poured the water into the coffee maker and flipped the switch on. He stood next to her at the counter and watched as she reached up to a top shelf to grab a couple of mugs. The action made her shirt ride up and he caught a glimpse of the smooth curve of her waist and her flat stomach. 

He couldn’t help himself - he reached out and put his hand on her waist, just above the spot where it curved out to her hips – his thumb caressing the impossibly soft and sensitive skin. She drew a shaky breath and closed her eyes, remembering how warm and hard his body felt against her as they slept tangled up together on the couch. 

She slowly lowered her arms and turned towards him. When she opened her eyes, he was staring at her swelling lips, her pupils dilated as she saw his warm brown eyes turn almost black as he whispered,

“I can’t anymore… I have to…”

“I know.” She reached up, her fingers grasping his hair pulling him towards her. 

There was nothing tentative about the contact of his mouth on hers - his lips were warm, wet and demanding. All the restraint from the previous night was gone as he mashed his lips down roughly on hers and tilted her head to gain deeper access to her delicious mouth. 

When they finally needed air, he dropped his lips to her neck and kissed and sucked the sensitive spot right above her collarbone, only to return to her mouth, his tongue once again demanding entry. She felt so good, so right and all the reasons why he had been holding back instantly vanished from his brain - he could only think about how confident and beautiful she had looked at the open house last night, how brave she had been after the attack and how soft and vulnerable she had been curled up against him on the couch. He was simply amazed by all the sides she had shown him so far - including at this very moment the hot, sexy goddess with swollen lips and lidded eyes that was making him want to completely lose control and take her right here in her parents’ kitchen.

His hands pulled her hips fully against his then slid further behind her to run up and down the soft smooth length of her back. His strong arms effortlessly lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around him pressing herself against the straining bulge in his jeans as he carried her back to the couch. 

He lowered her down and settled between her open legs, keeping the pressure where they both wanted it but being careful not to crush her with the full weight of his body. While their mouths continued their desperate exploration she felt the strength of his straining forearms, and ran her hands along his shoulders and down his chest to the bottom of his tank. 

“Take this off.” she whispered tugging at the hem of the shirt, letting her hands brush against his hard abdomen, teasing him and loving the low groan that escaped from his throat. 

“You first.” he insisted and her hands grasped the bottom of her own shirt and pulled it up over her head in one swift gesture. 

“Shit,” he swore, “you are so gorgeous” lowering his mouth to taste her flawless skin. She ran her fingers into his hair but felt his head suddenly lift up as he heard the sharp ring of his phone. 

He glanced over at his phone on the coffee table and saw that it was Johnny calling and shot her profound look of apology. 

“I’m so sorry, I need to get it.” He picked up the phone as she pulled the duvet over her half naked and extremely over-heated body. 

“Yeah?” 

“We found them. You need to get over here now FP, It’s getting rough”. 

“Ok, I’ll be right there.” He hung up and looked over at her. 

“Let me guess, you need to go” she correctly assumed, the disappointment showing in her eyes. 

“Yeah, unfortunately I do. Are you going to be ok here today?” he asked with concern. 

“I think so. My nephews are coming over later and they are always a handful and a great distraction. My parents will be home tonight so I won’t be here alone. I’ll miss you though” she ran her hand down his arm. 

He pulled away from her with a groan and handed her his phone – “text yourself so you have my number in case you need me ok?” 

As she entered her number he looked down at her hungrily and asked.  
“Will you come to see me after work tomorrow night? 

She put down the phone and playfully replied, “do you mean like a date, or do you just want the chance to ignore me again?” 

“I won’t be able to ignore you if you bring this.” he said as he ran his thumb roughly over her swollen mouth. “Or these,” he slid the duvet that she was holding against her chest down as he cupped her breasts and massaged them together before lowering his mouth to tongue the hardening peaks. 

She moaned and let her head fall back as he teased and sucked at her nipples. The softness of his tongue contrasted with the roughness of his stubbly beard against her skin quickly drove her to an intense level of pleasure. 

She heard herself half whisper half moan, “Please don’t stop. Please FP. I want you.” He stilled at her words and looked up at her, taking in her flushed cheeks and rapid breathing, feeling amazed that he was the one making her lose control. 

“Oh beautiful, you have no idea how much I want you too. There is nothing on this earth that I would rather do than spend the day with my cock inside you making you come over and over.” 

His words nearly made her gasp from the sudden flash of heat between her legs. 

“And I promise you I will do exactly that very, very soon.” He dipped his head to trail kisses down her neck. “But I can’t today, I’ve got some urgent business that can’t wait, even though you are the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen and the way you taste is making me crazy.” 

She sighed and slowly removed herself out from under him, pulled her shirt back on and after he grabbed his phone, shirt and keys, led him the to front door. With a quick good bye kiss he was gone and she leaned her back against the closed front door and shut her eyes as she muttered “shiiiiit” quietly to herself, a secret smile on her swollen lips she heard him rev up his bike and disappear down the block.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	5. Small Truths and Big Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally learn a bit more about what FP is really up to...

As planned, she met him at the garage the next night. It was almost dark out, and the garage was closed but she could see the light on inside the office. As she approached the door she suddenly felt a bit shy, not sure how to greet him after their hot makeout session the day before. She knocked and a few seconds later he appeared in a tight black tee that outlined the hard muscles that she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about. 

“Hey there,” she said in what she hoped sounded like a relaxed and sultry voice as he opened the door. 

As he stepped into the beam of the light above the entrance, she noticed right away that he had a cut on his cheek and she spotted some scrapes with dried blood on his hands and knuckles. 

“What happened to you!?” she asked with some alarm.

“It’s nothing.. I had a talk with some young men about not getting ‘lost’ in Riverdale again.” She knew he meant the thugs that had attacked her in the parking lot. 

“Did you… ?”

“Please don’t ask any questions, ok?” 

She nodded to reply, her mind reeling with the possibilities of what their “talk” consisted of. He turned to stand in front of her, gently placing his hands on either side of her face. 

“There are certain rules and boundaries that are undisputable, and here on the Southside we protect what is ours.” He kissed her softly on the forehead, then placed another gentle kiss on her lips – the difference between the power behind his words and the gentleness of his touch made her feel flushed from her lips all the way down to her toes. 

“Will you come out back with me? There’s something I want to show you.” She nodded again. He locked up, took her hand and lead her to the patio at the back of the garage. He had dressed up the table with a few lit candles and had hung a string of lights across the back wall. He flipped open the lid of a cooler and pulled out a bottle of wine and a few snacks. 

“Holy. Shit.” She was shocked and delighted at his thoughtful gesture. “You are quite the romantic FP Jones. If the ladies of Riverdale find out about this they will be forming a line around the block” 

“There’s only one lady in Riverdale that I want to impress” he said as he poured the wine into two paper cups and gestured for her to sit with him on the lounger. 

As she settled onto the chair between his legs and rested against his chest she said. “Is it Penny? She seems really sweet.” He smiled at her sarcastic joke and wrapped one arm around her.

It was a beautiful, warm evening with no clouds to block the view of the moon and stars overhead. They sat together in silence for a few minutes enjoying the night sky, the taste of the wine and the feeling of being so close. 

She finally spoke. “There’s something I forgot to ask you yesterday. Why did you come back to the centre on Saturday night? After you left, I thought you would never want to speak to me again but then, there you were.” 

“You’re going to make me say it? Isn’t it obvious?” 

“Tell me.” Then more quietly she added, “please”. 

“I came back because I decided I wanted to see if I still had a shot with you. Even though you have better options - better options that your family, hell I would even agree, would be smarter for you to choose.” 

“You definitely still had a shot, even before you so heroically saved me – I knew that night that I was yours, if you wanted me.” 

She turned a little so that her mouth could reach his and stroking his jaw, she parted her lips and ran the tip of her tongue along his bottom lip and teased his mouth open until she could feel his tongue teasing back. Her lips tingled as they gently brushed against his, loving their softness with the wet heat of his tongue and the urgency of his hand that had fisted the fabric of her light sundress and was pushing it up her thigh. 

He suddenly released her and eased away from her a little bit. He grabbed their cups, put them down on the ground and then spun her around so that she straddled him and put his large warm hands on her hips while she placed her hands on either side of his face. This kiss was less gentle, more urgent as the fire between them flared to life. Lips and tongues locked together as they pressed, sucked and tasted. 

The hands on her hips easily undid the knotted strings holding her wrap dress together. He pushed the fabric down over her shoulders and her dress fell open to reveal her perfect breasts spilling out of the tiniest bits of white lace and a matching tiny strip of white down below. 

He groaned. “Oh Jesus help me, what are you wearing?” 

She loved his response and ground her hips firmly against his, smiling as his eyes rolled back. “It’s hot out, I had to dress lightly.” His eyes slowly roamed over her tight torso and flat stomach and soon his hands followed and despite the heat of the summer night she shivered. 

The peaceful night was suddenly disturbed by a low rumble that started softly but built up as it grew closer. 

He muttered ‘Oh shit Ali, we’ve got company”. 

He sat up and made sure she was covered as she quickly tied up her dress. They walked to the side of the garage and peered around the corner. She saw that a group of about 10 bikers had rolled into the parking lot, all wearing similar leather jackets with a green snake on the back. 

He motioned for her to stay back as one of them, an older man with a grey beard and a bandana covering his long greasy hair approached them. He took in the candles and the wine and sneered, “Well well well. Isn’t this cute? I guess now we know why you weren’t answering your phone FP." 

“We are supposed to be meeting at the Wyrm later TallBoy.” 

“Something has come up boss and we need to talk now.” 

FP shouted over TallBoy’s shoulder to the rest of the guys. “Roll out boys – you know we never meet here” He looked back at Tallboy, “I’ll meet you at the Wyrm in 10 minutes.”

As TallBoy took a step backwards, he turned his gaze to Ali, looking her up and down suggestively. “You know princess, one of our rules is “Serpents always share.” 

She recoiled with repulsion and instinctively took a step behind FP. He protectively stepped between them - Get the fuck out of here TallBoy. NOW!”

He climbed back on his bike and the group drove away. It was eeriliy quiet as FP closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to control his emotions. 

“So you are a Serpent?” She asked the obvious question. He nodded. 

“Wait, why is he calling you boss?” 

He opened his eyes and turned to face her. “I’m kind of the leader.” 

“Kind of!?” She was trying to process the information and remain calm but a few tears were gathering at the corners of her eyes. He tellingly did not try to touch her, but stood with his arms crossed. 

“Remember when I told you that I would do anything to keep Jug safe? Well, this is what I need to do right now – they are going to pull one of us under and I choose me. I warned you that I was not a model citizen.” 

“Those guys that attacked me in the parking lot – were they Serpents?” 

“No, Ghoulies. They are from another part of town and are into much rougher stuff that we are.” 

“Is this just a front?” she asked gesturing to the garage. 

“No, this is my business, my exit strategy.” She opened her mouth to ask another question but he cut her off. 

“Look Ali I know you have a million questions for me but I don’t have time for this right now. I’m sorry but I have to go.” 

“Just answer this then. Were you planning to tell me about this part of your life or is this something you only share with people that you trust?”

“I can’t… I don’t… I’m not sure what to say here Alison.” He ran his fingers roughly through his hair in frustration. 

A single tear finally broke over its barrier and started rolling defiantly down her face. “What are we even starting here if you can’t tell me about something like this?” 

His faced closed off and he looked away. She recognized the look - the conversation was over and she walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So appreciate all those who are reading this! The next chapter is the big one...


	6. Undeniable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we go... We finally get to the smut and a little something else :-)

Ali was on edge for the next few days not knowing what to do and what to think. She had no clue how to reconcile the contradictory sides of him she was discovering. Their white hot chemistry was not at all what she was expecting. But it was undeniable. She could keep the memories of his mouth and hands on her at bay during her busy days but they haunted her at night when she was in bed alone with an aching need. 

Should she contact him? Was he going to call her? Maybe he had decided it was not worth the bother, that he didn’t want to answer her questions and didn’t want to let her into his life after all. 

By the time Thursday rolled around she had just about given up hope of every hearing from him again when a text popped up on her phone. 

\- Are you free tonight to talk? 

She waited what she thought was an acceptable amount of time and replied. 

\- Plans with Luke  
\- JK. Yes I am free 

\- Come around 7:30? I’ll text the address 

\- I’ll be there 

She arrived right on time and he invited her in as soon as she knocked on the door. His home was a little trailer on a messy lot that looked worse for wear on the outside and was sparsely furnished inside, but was relatively comfortable and cozy. 

“Look, I know you wanted to talk but I’m just not sure there is anything to say. Look around Ali, this is my life.” 

Ignoring his attempt to dismiss her she sat down at the kitchen table and dove right into her most pressing questions “Is it dangerous, your role with the Serpents?” 

He leaned his tall frame against the kitchen counter, realizing he was going to be there for a while. 

“It can be.”

“Do the Serpents have many leaders or are you pretty much it?” 

“I’m it.” 

“So you’re the Serpent King of the Southside. That’s why those kids who attacked me in the parking lot on Saturday night knew who you were?” She crossed her arms in front of her as she asked the question. 

“I guess so. I’m not the king of anything, like I said, I’m just trying to keep things quiet for a few years until Jug can get away from here. He was pulled in pretty hard when I was in prison so I needed to step in to keep things under control” 

“Under control?” 

“Keep activity to a minimum. You know, hibernate.” 

She waited to ask her next question, the most important one for her. 

“Were you going to tell me about this?” 

“I don’t know.” He ran his fingers roughly through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. 

“I’m not going to judge you FP. I don’t want you to feel like you have to hide or lie about anything. I really need to be sure that I can trust you.”

He had reached his breaking point in the conversation. “Why? Why the fuck does it matter? What can I possibly offer you?” He came towards her, his eyes wide with anger. “Are you just looking to experiment with something that’s a little rougher than your usual college boys? You want to see what it’s like to fuck a Southsider with a sketchy past? Is that it Alison?”

His outburst didn’t make her back down one bit. “Do you honestly think that is how I see you? She paused and took a deep breath before she continued, looking directly into his deep brown eyes. “I see a man who is smart and strong and loyal and incredibly selfless.” 

Her answer took him completely by surprise. He looked down at the floor and didn’t have a clue how to reply. He couldn’t recall anyone, ever, saying good things about him, especially a beautiful, smart woman like the one in front of him. She had a way of breaking down every single barricade that he threw in her way. 

She stood up and took a tentative step towards him. “Stop fighting this FP. You know it is inevitable.” She moved another step closer, putting a hand on his chest. “You know what’s going to happen now right?" she said, leaning towards him and testing him by softly placing a few gentle kisses close to his mouth. 

She could tell that he was still battling for control – she needed to push him a little more to get what she wanted. Her hands moved down the front of his shirt to the waistband of his jeans. She reached to undo the button and slid the palm of her hand down along the zipper. “Tell me what’s going to happen.” she demanded, biting her lip suggestively. 

With a groan he finally gave in and just before his mouth took hers roughly he said. “I’m going to fuck you Ali. I’m going to make you mine.” 

He picked her up and carried her to his bedroom, placing her on the bed and pinning her hands over her head. His free hand made quick work of the buttons on her dress and soon he was rewarded with the sight of her rounded breasts, toned stomach and long legs clad only in the tiniest bits of black lace. She saw the hungry look in his eyes and huskily whispered – “Take me FP, I’m all yours.” 

“You are so fucking beautiful” he moaned, releasing her hands which she quickly used to pull his t-shirt over his head. She reached for his jeans, desperate to access the bulge that she could feel grinding against her. He quickly finished the task of removing the remaining clothing barriers between them, the sight of her biting her lip in anticipation as he slid her lacy thong down her legs made him even harder, if that was even humanly possible. 

“So I can take whatever I want? He asked. 

Yes, she nodded, eyes dark and hungry. 

“What if I want a taste?” he asked running his mouth along the inside of her thigh and parting her, running his tongue along her folds and paying particular attention to her sensitive clit and he soon had her whimpering, breathing shallow short breaths. 

“Please FP, please.” 

“What do you want baby? Tell me what you want me to do.” 

“Fuck me, please, I need to feel you inside me.” 

She whimpered half with pleasure and half with pain as he roughly slid into her. He was large, larger than she had experienced in the past and it took a moment to adjust to the feeling of being filled so completely.

He looked down to see where their bodies were connected in the most intimate way and moaned seeing the swirls of his dark hair and patterns of tattoos contrasted against her perfectly smooth porcelain skin. 

“I want you so much, I don’t think I can go slow Alison.” His whole body was tight with the effort of holding back until she was ready. 

“I don’t want slow. I want fast, and hard.” She whispered, still a little shy about asking for what she wanted as she wrapped her legs around him to encourage him to move. 

He moaned with exertion as he slammed into her over and over again their bodies becoming slick with sweat. He pushed on her bended knees opening her up wider so he could bury himself even deeper into her tight walls. Her mouth opened as her eyes rolled back and an incredible wave of heat and pleasure pulsed through her entire body. She cried out ‘oh god, oh god, oh god’ over and over until she felt him groan and release, finally resting between her legs as they lay panting together. 

\---------

She left just as the sun was coming up. She kissed him goodbye as she slid out of bed. It was tough to leave, the sight of his hard, tattooed body barely covered by his rumpled white sheet, one arm propped behind his head on the pillow was making her want more of what he had experienced so many times that night. “I have to sneak back to my parents, so I can get ready to go to work like a respectable adult.” 

“You’re fucking a Serpent now - you’re not that respectable anymore.” he said with a devilish grin. 

He looked her over with a smoldering gaze as she picked up her clothes off his floor. “You look the part of a nice young lady but I’ve never met someone who could take what I have to give so enthusiastically. Are you sure you can’t stay a little longer?” He teasingly slid the sheet off his body, showing her that he was almost ready for her once again. “I bet that tight little pussy of yours is aching and wet right now.” He sat up and slid his hand up between her legs, his fingers finding the proof of her insatiable need for him. “Ahh, see, I was right, you’re so wet for me Alison.” Unable to resist for a moment longer, she dropped the clothes in her hands and slid back onto the bed and lowered herself down onto him. As his fingers continued to tease her, she arched back and cried out when once again he buried himself to the hilt into her tight core. 

Their bodies were already extremely over-stimulated with pleasure from their sleepless night so it didn’t take long for them to both find release. A few minutes later she once again attempted to leave. He enjoyed watching her wiggle back into her dress and smiled with complete satisfaction as he asked, “Will I see you this weekend?”

“I’m actually going back to New York for the weekend to see a couple of my ex-roommates from college. But I’d love to see you next week.” 

“You can count on that beautiful.” He replied. And with one last smoldering kiss she left him behind to start her day. 

\-----------

That night after she closed up the centre for the weekend Ali got in her car and drove towards New York. The familiar route was relaxing but she tensed up again as she approached her destination - a non-descript looking three story apartment building. She let herself in the outer door with a key on her keychain and walked up to the top floor. She knocked on the door of apt 3C and a clean cut man wearing khakis and a black polo shirt let her in and closed the door behind her. 

“I’m looking forward to hearing all about your progress on the case Agent Cooper.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :-0 So I've obviously been holding back on Alison's true POV, but we'll get much more into it in the second half of this fic. Lots of angst ahead! Thanks for reading!


	7. Moment of Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet DEA Agent Alison Cooper.

“Hey Jamie it’s good to see you.” She gave her superior officer a big smile and grabbed a seat at the large kitchen table covered with papers, files, monitors and a couple of laptops. 

“So, how’s your first deep cover going Alison?” 

"I made some amazing progress this week – I’ve confirmed that FP is the leader of the Serpents and I think I’ve earned his trust – I think he’ll slowly start opening up to me and letting me into that part of his life." 

“Good job agent. That’s a lot of progress for a relatively short period of time.” 

“I’ve had some close calls. A group of guys swarmed me in the parking lot one night, I had to go against all my defense training instincts and let them overpower me – it was tough when I knew I could have had those little punks all on their knees in a matter of seconds.” 

There was another knock on the door, Jamie checked the monitor feed from the hidden camera and got up to open the door for Monica and Andree, two more of their team members who were working in Greendale. 

She spent the next hour briefing her colleagues on the names FP or any of the kids had mentioned, movement, locations, relationships, anything she had noted that might be useful in the case. 

At the end of the briefing Jamie looked pleased. “Ok Agent Cooper, don’t forget our end game here. The water you’re fishing in is pretty shallow but we’ve got some big fish just upstream. This gang could lead us to one of the biggest busts in DEA history. That’s all for tonight, I’ll see you all at the training session tomorrow.” 

As they exited the building onto the street she asked, “Hey Monica, do you have time for a drink?” She really wanted to talk to her mentor and more experienced colleague. The two women headed to a bar a few blocks away. 

“So how’s it really going?” Monica asked once they were seated at a table and had ordered a couple of drinks. “It must be strange being back in your hometown with no one knowing what you are really doing.”

“I know the work is important, and I'm trying to stay focused on that but it’s hard to accept that I am forming connections with these people when there’s a chance I’m going to blow up their lives then disappear.” Ali confessed. 

“We have a solid extraction plan for you Ali, you should be able to go back to Riverdale for years to come with your “educator” cover story still in place and no one will suspect anything. It’s helpful that you did actually get your education degree, but of course you, our little over achiever, did it in 3 years, while getting top marks at your training at the academy at the same time.” 

“Mon, how do you deal with the emotional connections with your suspects? FP is not a bad guy, he’s actually really great.”

“We know, that’s why we chose him. His moral code makes him a relatively safe mark for your first assignment - he’s a pretty sure bet to do the right thing when it’s called for. And have faith in yourself. Don’t forget we recruited you out of your first year in college because you scored off the charts for emotional intelligence. We knew you would make a great agent – you can handle this Alison.” 

“What about the physical stuff?” Ali looked down at the table, tracing the coaster with her fingertips. “He does things to me that I’ve never even dreamed of. I know we are trained to separate the physical from the emotional but to be honest I’m finding it hard to …”

“…keep your head in the game when his tongue is between your legs?” Monica let out a deep chuckle. Ali knew she could count on her friend to be direct with her - with Monica’s many years of experience nothing could shock her. 

“Physical intimacy is encouraged because it is one of the quickest ways to build trust and forge a bond. Think of some great sex as a job perk but ultimately you have to keep that wall up and keep reminding yourself that it is just a job -a very challenging and rewarding job. We have the privilege of keeping this country safe for millions of people Ali. Don’t lose sight of it. Kind of makes the odd blow job here and there seem insignificant – am I right?”

She lifted her glass to clink it with Ali’s and took the last sip of her beer. “I’m going to turn in – we’ve got a long day tomorrow.” 

Monica left the bar and Ali sat alone at the table. She looked around the cozy tavern, her eyes wandering over the other patrons. She noticed that there were a few groups of men gathered around, watching a baseball game on the big screens. A few them were pretty cute actually – especially one clean cut guy around her age wearing a Toronto Blue Jays tshirt. 

A thought crossed her mind - maybe she needed a hook up to help her reset her emotions, to get her out of her cover and to connect back into her “real” life. After all she was a single girl alone on a Friday night in a bar full of men. She made eye contact with the cute guy and gave him a smile of encouragement. He came over to the table and offered to buy her a drink. He said his name was Chris and they chatted as she sipped her beer – he seemed to be a pretty nice guy, a junior advertising account rep originally from Canada. 

She enjoyed using some of her flirtiest moves – a touch of the hand, a hair toss, a coy smile - she had almost forgotten how much fun this was when there was nothing at stake. When she finished her drink, she said she was going to head out and he offered to walk her back to her car. 

As soon as they got outside the bar she leaned against him and draped her arms over his shoulders, inviting him to kiss her. Their lips met awkwardly, the smooth hairless skin of his face felt strange to her and her nose picked up the smell of unfamiliar cologne. Chris pressed closer to her and deepened the kiss. It was nice but there was no heat, no aching need and she realized her plan had spectacularly backfired. 

This was not what she wanted. 

This was not who she wanted. 

She pushed him away and apologized profusely, leaving him disappointed as she ran down the street to find her car. 

She drove to her hotel and checked in. As she was sinking into the soft white sheets, her body once again betrayed her - she was aching and sore from the previous night and she could feel the ghostly touch of FP's body on hers. 

It’s just a job, just a job, just a job she repeated like a sacred mantra to herself over and over until she was finally able to drift off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to be clear that I know zero about any undercover process or procedures. Just making up a bunch of stuff here for entertainment purposes. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Did anyone see the twist coming? If you re-read the first 6 chapters there are a few subtle clues...


	8. Falling

It was so easy to fall. 

It was so easy to fall into the habit of spending all their time together. After the weekend apart they became almost inseparable. She would usually drop by the garage to see him after work. They would sit together in the office, or on the back patio - she loved trying to get him to lighten up and make him laugh. He enjoyed having someone to talk to that didn't judge him for his past mistakes - he liked the man he was around her. 

But no matter where they were, they simply couldn’t keep their hands off of each other. The desk in his office, the picnic table, his truck, even the back seat of a client’s car in the garage had all been used to ease their insatiable need. Every night they would end up back at the trailer, in his bed, where his hard slick body and talented mouth and hands fucked her, wet and trembling, past the edge of reason over and over again. 

\-------------

A few weeks later, he suggested that they go to the Wyrm for a drink. They weren’t exactly sneaking around but had an unspoken agreement not to make things between them too public yet. She had explained her absence to her parents by saying that she was house-sitting for a friend of a friend, and before this evening he hadn’t officially invited her to meet any of the people in his life. 

She knew him taking her to the Wyrm would make it somewhat official that they were seeing each other, and he was leading her right into the middle of the Serpent’s nest. 

She was quiet in the truck on the way there, and he picked up on her nerves. She had channeled a little 90s Gwen Stefani, hoping her black leggings and boots with a cropped tank top, pony tail and dark lips would help her fit in and give her the confidence she needed for the night. “Why are you nervous babe? You have been to the Wyrm before.” he said remembering the night she tracked him down. 

“I’m just not sure what to expect. What goes on in there?” 

“Be prepared for a bunch of drunks, and Serpents, and drunk Serpents.” 

“Do the Ghoulies ever hang out at the Wyrm? Any Sharks vs Jets style dance-offs?” She was trying to act flippant so as not to appear overly curious. 

He did not appreciate her humour. “Do you think this is funny Al? There could be serious bloodshed if the Ghoulies ever showed up.” 

“Sorry FP. I’m just being silly because I always feel safe when I’m with you.” They had arrived in the parking lot and after he put the truck in park, he slid his hand against her cheek and smiled as he leaned over to kiss her. 

Once they were inside she stayed close by his side. She asked him the names of everyone that they saw and asked questions about everyone that he introduced her to. She was taking it all in, the relationships, the nicknames, the power structure of who commanded respect. FP seemed to rule with a quiet authority, the others gave him space wherever they went and listened whenever he talked. 

The only problem with being a novelty and the leader’s bona fide date was that people wanted to buy her drinks and ask her questions too. She had to be very careful to keep her wits about her. Johnny put another drink in her hand as one of the leather-clad ladies pulled her away from FP onto the dance floor. 

After a few songs she left the dance floor and made her way through the bar looking for FP. She was picking up bits of conversations happening around her. Ghoulies making a move…, …breaking the agreement…, planning a meeting.

She couldn’t see him anywhere so she headed to the side door to check if he was outside. She heard his voice and paused for a minute, listening by door that was open a crack. His voice was raised, he sounded angry and frustrated. “No! I’m going alone. That’s final.” She took a step back from the door and crashed directly into Tallboy. 

The tall bearded man looked at her and roughly grabbed her upper arm. 

“Take your hand off me.” she said as she tried to pull away from him. 

He responded by digging his fingers even deeper into her arm, hurting her. He leaned over and growled into her ear. 

“You might have FP pussy whipped little girl but I’m not stupid enough to trust you.” Then he released her with a snarl. 

She refused to be rattled by the unpleasant interaction and moved back towards the bar where one of the men she had been introduced to earlier pressed a beer into her hand and she gratefully accepted the drink and took a large swig from the bottle. 

When he came back inside, FP found her on the dance floor where she did a little cute little spin and landed in his arms. 

“Somebody is feeling good, how many drinks have you had?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her. 

“Just a couple – I’m kind of a lightweight.” She was not as drunk as she appeared but was now feeling a different kind of buzz from being close to him. She caught a whiff of his cologne and something else.

“You had a cigarette.” 

“Guilty. Good thing that I am otherwise perfect in every way.” 

“Well you do have a few things going for you.” 

She pulled him to a quiet spot away from the bar, a few steps down a back hallway. 

She slid her arms around him underneath his jacket. “I’m having fun FP. I really like being here with you.” 

He reached one hand up to the side of her face and ran a thumb over her cheek, lowering his mouth to hers. His other hand slid down between them and applied pressure to the throbbing and sensitive area between her legs. 

He huskily moaned, “I like being alone with you better.” 

She ground against his hand, and opened her mouth to allow his tongue to access deep inside her, sucking and stroking and teasing. She moaned a little too loudly and realized that they were in a very public area and things were quickly getting out of hand. 

“Let’s go home.” 

________

The next morning, she was feeling fuzzy. Although she had managed to stay relatively sober, she still definitely had a few more drinks than her usual and was feeling the effects. 

He was already up and called out from the kitchen, “Hey Dancing Queen, how is your head this morning? 

She groaned as she lowered herself onto the couch. He handed her a coffee and pulled the blanket up over her as he joined her and let her snuggle up onto his chest. 

“And what about this?” He quickly ran his hand over the juncture of her thighs. “Things got pretty wild last night.” She smiled, blushing as she remembered all of the positions and pleasures they enjoyed late into the night and early morning. 

He moved a stack of papers scattered all over the coffee table to put his coffee down. “What are these?” he asked. 

“Some of the writing that the kids have been doing this summer.” She picked up one particularly thick document stapled together in the top left corner. 

“Do you want to hear what your amazing son wrote? she asked. 

When he said yes, she read him the opening paragraphs of the novel that Jughead was writing. 

“Our story is about a town, a small town, and the people who live in the town. From a distance, it presents itself like so many other small towns all over the world; safe, decent, innocent. Get closer, though, and you start seeing the shadows underneath…” She continued to read a few more pages to him and he beamed with pride. 

“He is such a brilliant kid – wise beyond his years. I have such hopes for him to get out of this trailer park, far away from this town and have an amazing life.”

“How come he is never here? Doesn’t he live with you?” she asked. 

“He’s pretty much on his own - he couch surfs, finds other places like the old drive-in to crash. He just comes around to check on me really, and I guess with you being here now he doesn’t feel like he needs to do that as much. Things were not happy when his mother and I were together and he got used to avoiding being at home. His mom left when I was in prison so he was really on his own then, and since I’ve been out, well I just think he is better off without me.” 

He rubbed his hand over his scruffy beard a few times and continued, “I’m no role model for him, that’s for sure. I regret not being able to provide him with a more stable childhood but I’m proud that he’s becoming a man, a good man all on his own. And my daughter Jellybean is only 11 but she’s already an amazing person.” He had to pause here to quickly wipe his eyes. “I hate not being a part of her life. But I think it’s safer and more peaceful for her with her mom in Toledo. As much as it kills me, I want her to have a normal life and a normal childhood.”

She looked up at him, wanting to let him know his worth “I can’t imagine that you being part of someone’s life could ever be a bad thing. Anyone could learn from you about loyalty and generosity. And determination – just look how hard you are working to turn your life around. It’s inspiring.” 

He didn’t look at her or reply. She could see that he had gone to a dark place, she could sense a battle waging within him that her words could not reach. 

“You’re so serious today babe. Is something up?” 

“Nothing for you to worry about.” He replied stroking her hair and kissing the top of her head. 

She felt so protective of him in that moment and forgetting for a blissful second about walls and jobs she placed her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Her heart was aching in her chest and she finally silently acknowledged a thought that had been lurking around the edges of her mind for the last few weeks ‘You could have been the love of my life FP Jones’.


	9. Burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They say you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone.

The following weekend Ali was the first to wake up. She looked at the peacefully sleeping form next to her and smiled at his messy hair and with his closed eyes, she marveled at the length of his eyelashes resting against his cheeks. She quietly reached for her phone on the table by the bed to check her Twitter feed and suddenly sat straight up with a gasp. 

@RiverdaleFD: active fire on Twillight Drive. Please avoid the area and keep roads clear for fire department vehicles. 

@Riverdude: Whoa! Major smoke coming from the Twillight Drive in. 

The attached photo clearly showed a pillar of black smoke rising from the recognizable building in front of the big white screen. 

“FP, FP, wake up!” She shook him roughly on the shoulder, then leaned over to grab his phone that was next to the bed. “FP – where is Jughead?” As he was slowly opening his eyes, responding to the panic in her voice, she shoved his phone at him.

He pushed his hair away from his face, “Babe what is going on?” 

“Do you have a message from him this morning? Where did he sleep last night?” 

He took the phone and opened it up to check the last time he had heard from his son. “What the hell is going on Ali?”

“The Twillight is burning down – we need to make sure he’s not there.” 

He suddenly understood the urgency in her voice. “I’m sure he’s ok.” Not sure if he was trying to reassure her or himself. FP dialed Jug’s number but it went straight to voicemail. FP sent a text. CALL ME NOW! 

“You call Pop’s. I’ll call Betty.” She said dialing her cousin’s number. 

It rang a couple of times before a sleepy Betty answered. “Hey Ali – why are you calling so early? 

“Betty – is Jughead there with you?”

“I, uh, wha?" Betty stammered. 

“Betty! It’s important, is he there or not?” Ali demanded. 

“No, he’s not.” She could see FP shaking his head, on the phone with Pop, obviously he was not at the diner either. 

“Can you find out if he is at Archie’s?” She tried to sound casual so as not to panic her younger cousin unnecessarily. “Betty the Twilight is on fire and we’re pretty sure he’s ok, but we need to know for certain that Jug is not there.”

Always cool under pressure, Betty replied quickly and calmly. “OK. I’ll call Archie and call you right back.” 

Ali jumped out of bed and started to get dressed. FP did the same, she could see his fingers shaking as he tried to do up the buttons on his shirt. “I’m going to try a few of the Serpents to see if anyone saw him last night. If anything has happened to him, this is all my fault.” 

She put her hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes, dark with worry. “We’re going to find him. I promise.” 

The phone call from Betty confirmed that he had not been at Archie’s last night. “Look everywhere you can for him B, we’re going to call around the Southside.”

They looked at each other concern reflected in each of their faces. “Should we go to the Drive in?” he asked.

She nodded. “You keep calling people, I’ll drive.” 

They could see the billowing smoke from a couple of miles away, as they got closer they could see flames shooting up into the early morning sky. Just as they pulled up they saw one side of the brick building crumble and collapse. 

She wasn’t a fire forensic expert but she suspected from the tell-tale acidic smell and the heat it would take to melt brick a brick wall that there was an accelerant used – she would bet a lot of money that this fire was deliberately set and would have spread quickly leaving almost no chance for anyone inside to escape. 

Neither SweetPea nor Fangs had seen him. “Call everyone you know FP, someone must have seen him last night. Give me his number and I’ll keep trying to reach him.” With shaking fingers she put Jughead’s number in her phone and just kept hitting redial as FP tried another contact in his phone. She looked around to see if she could spot his bike anywhere on the property, but it was hard to see with all the smoke and the firetrucks parked on the scene. 

“Ok thanks Toni. Yeah, we’ll let you know.” FP hit end call and turned to Ali. 

“Toni said she saw him leaving a party on Pike Road around 2 or 3 am but doesn’t know where he was headed.” He closed his eyes and ran his fingers roughly over his chin, his face crumpled with worry. 

She put her arms around him. “There’s still a hundred places he could be, we have barely even started yet. We have last known location, that’s where we begin our hasty search, call Toni back to see if she and a couple of the guys can form another search team.” she said leading him back to the truck. 

She hit redial on Jughead’s number for probably the 100th time in the last 5 minutes. She barely noticed that it rang once then a familiar deep voice said hello. She half laughed, half sobbed and covered her mouth with her hand – she handed the phone to FP who shouted “SON!?” Where are you?” into the phone. 

“I’m at the trailer dad – where the hell are you? The front door was wide open when I drove by. I was driving around all night so my phone was dead so I came in to recharge it and see what was happening. I just plugged it in when Ali called. What are you guys doing?” 

“We’ll explain when we get home, just stay put ok? And call Betty, and Toni the second you hang up. I love you son.” 

They held each other tightly and let their relief wash over them for a moment before hopping back into the truck and racing home. 

A few minutes later Ali and FP arrived at the trailer where FP immediately pulled Jughead into the living room. As per their typical father/son style of communicating there was a lot of yelling. Ali heard many heated words being thrown back and forth including: “From now on I need to know where you are” and “Why do you care all of a sudden? It’s a bit late for father of the year, don’t you think?” 

Ali stayed in the kitchen, she had to sit, her legs were shaking thinking about the possibility of losing Jughead – what it would have done to FP, and to her. They both meant so much to her. Her emotions were raw - memories of losing her brother came flooding back and she slid down onto the floor, her head between her bent legs as she sobbed quietly – grateful that they couldn’t hear her over the sound of their argument. 

Eventually things quieted down in the other room - there was hugging and even a few manly tears shed. 

Ali carefully composed herself and once she had her emotions under control another thought crossed her analytically trained mind - who started the fire, and why? 

\------

Later that night she and FP were lying together on the couch. She finally asked something that had been bothering her all day. “I’m so sorry that I caused you so much worry today, did I over-react?” 

“No, you were fantastic. It’s amazing to me how much you care about us. He tilted her head up and kissed her gently, his lips just teasing hers until they parted - then he began to explore her open mouth more deeply and urgently. He pulled away slightly, his voice taking on a teasing tone, “Also, you seem to know your way around a search and rescue – you’re pretty efficient in a crisis.” 

She hoped she hadn’t been too obviously professional – her fear had made her training kick in like a reflex. She tried to laugh it off. “Oh, I’ve probably just watched too much Netflix – I do love those missing person dramas.” 

“Today has really put things into perspective for me Al. I need to change a few things around here. I need to get a place that is big enough so that my kids can stay with me. I want to provide a real home.” 

“That sounds wonderful. Are you making enough at the garage for that to be a possibility? she asked. 

“Well it’s not the easiest or the fastest way to make money, that’s for sure.” She held her breath, not wanting to hear him say that he was considering some less than legal means of supplementing his income. 

He didn’t elaborate, instead steered the conversation in direction that she was not expecting. “Today made me realize how important my family is to me, and who exactly I consider to be part of my family.” He gently ran his thumb over her cheek, “You make me want to be a better person and your faith in me makes me believe that there might actually be something inside this wreck of a man that can make that happen. It’s been a long day Ali and I don’t think we are up for this conversation tonight, but eventually we are going to have to talk about what is happening here, between us. And what we want to happen in the future.” 

She was completely taken by surprise, her big rounded eyes looked up at his handsome face, seeing a vulnerability there that he hadn’t let her see before. If she was free to let herself go she would have admitted that she was home. Here in his arms was exactly where she felt the most herself, the most loving and nurturing, the most wanted. But she couldn’t let herself, she wouldn’t. It simply wasn’t an option. 

She never expected to feel anything like this. She remembered studying his file, months before she met him and thinking that she could just use her youth and beauty to turn his head and distract him enough to learn what she needed. She thought that their lives were so different that there was no way that they would connect on anything beyond a superficial level. She didn’t know that he would fill a part of her heart that she didn’t even know was empty.

So she just smiled up at him and said, “yeah, let’s save that for another day.” She was desperate for more time. She had to prepare to live with the pain of losing him and she needed to figure out how to not hurt him when the time came for her to move on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! 
> 
> *crickets*
> 
> That was a short one and kind of transitional. Big stuff coming up next! 
> 
> :-)


	10. Out of the Shadows into the Fire

Later that week she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. FP obviously had things on his mind and was preoccupied with a problem that he wasn’t willing to share.

It was early in the morning and she was lying in his arms still breathing heavily from a few intense orgasms. She often woke to his hand between her legs, fingering her clit or sliding fingers inside her, waiting for her to become fully awake before sliding his full length inside her. It was her favorite kind of alarm clock. 

“I won’t be home tonight babe.”

“What…? She tried to ask for details but he cut her off. 

“This is one of those things that you can’t ask about ok?” 

She sat up in frustration. “No it’s not ok. I can tell you are worried about something FP. I know something is going on, please don’t shut me out. Maybe I can help you?”

“NO Ali, no. This does NOT concern you. Stop pushing it.” 

“If it concerns you, it concerns me. Do you really expect that you can tell me you’re not coming home, that I can’t know where you are going or what you are doing and I’m supposed to just be ok with it?”

“You’re just going to have to trust me Al. I’m asking you to trust me.” He tried to touch her face but she pulled away.

“You know I trust you, but it feels like you don’t trust me. I thought we agreed you didn’t have to keep things from me.” She was worried and desperate to get more information out of him. 

“I’m sorry Ali but I’m done talking about this.” He said as he rolled out of bed. 

She sat hugging her knees with her eyes closed for a few minutes trying to quash the sinking feeling that she was messing up the biggest break in the investigation, and worse, that he was putting himself in danger. 

\---------

She went into work at the centre but she was on edge all day and the sick feeling in her stomach wouldn’t go away. She decided that she couldn’t ignore what her instincts were telling her so she broke protocol and snuck out to her car to call headquarters and ask her superior officer if he could assign someone to tail FP. 

“It’s not enough to go on Alison. We need more concrete details before we put someone else in the field. I’ll have backup close by but stay focused on your directive, your job is not to keep him safe, your job is to gather information.” Her stomach fell as she heard Jamie’s decision. 

By the time evening had arrived, she was so worked up with anxiety that she decided to follow him herself. It was an incredibly risky move - if even one person spotted her, it would completely blow her cover. Under the cover of the early evening darkness she parked hidden from view across the street from his garage and waited. 

It was a long, boring wait - nearly two hours later she saw his truck leaving the garage. She followed at a safe distance until he pulled up outside a warehouse building at the edge of town. 

He disappeared inside a side door, so she crept along the side of the building, looking for another way in. She found a chain link fence at one end and quietly climbed over the top to get access to the loading bay of the building. 

She heard voices and followed them inside. She peered around a corner into a large open warehouse area where she could see FP talking to Tall Boy. She could just make out FP asking him heatedly what he was doing there – he seemed to be confused, he was expecting the Ghoulie’s leader Malachai instead. 

As she crept closer their voices got louder. “It’s over FP. You’re done. Malachai is done talking to you. The fire at the drive-in was just a warning about what the Ghoulies are willing and able to do to the Southside. They’re moving on to bigger things and since you’re not on board I’m here to take care of you so that the Serpents can move along with them.” 

It happened so fast that it was only Ali’s training that kicked her into action in time. Tall Boy drew a gun and pointed it at FP. She ran at him from the side, distracting him enough to make him miss his target when he pulled the trigger. She swept Tall Boy’s feet out from under him and tackled him to the ground, reaching for the gun. It fired again hitting him under the chin exploding in a disgusting burst of blood and bone. There was no doubt that he was dead. 

FP was in shock. “What the fuck Ali? WHAT THE FUCK!?” 

She pulled out her phone, wiping blood off her face with the sleeve of her dark shirt. “It’s Cooper, reporting a 10-62. Need a team at 14 Industrial, unit 6 asap.” 

“You little bitch. You’re a cop!?” His face was twisted with anger and he walked toward her threateningly. She picked up Tall Boy’s gun and looked around carefully.  
“DEA actually. C’mon we need to find cover, we don’t know who else might be on their way here.” She led a still incredulous FP behind a pile of crates where they crouched down facing each other. 

“You’re a stupid bitch too – you just blew your cover to save me. Why didn’t you just let him shoot me? I can’t be a very big player in whatever you are trying to take down. You know that the Serpents don’t deal drugs.”

“I couldn’t. I couldn’t let him...” She was trying to remain calm, her eyes pleading with him not to lose his temper. “FP listen to me, we can figure this out. My team will be here any minute. You don’t have to tell anyone about this. Tall Boy can just disappear then I can disappear. We can figure something out.” 

Desperate now to convince him to cooperate she continued. “Like you said, you’re not a big player, we’re not after you or the Serpents. They’ll just bring you in for some questioning. But after that my life is in your hands. If you expose me to the rest of the Serpents, I’ll never be able to come back to Riverdale, ever.”

He gave her a cold stare, incredulous that she would be asking for favours after all her lies. She did just save his life but still, he was shocked to his core by her betrayal. And he was not one to forgive easily. 

The pieces were falling into place in his mind. “So you’re not after me, you’re just using me.” He snorted out a short burst of sarcastic laughter. “It finally makes sense now why someone like you would be interested in someone like me.”

She didn’t have a chance to respond - they heard the screeching of tires and a few seconds later the team showed up – they quickly and efficiently took him into custody, impounded their vehicles and removed Tall Boy’s body. Within minutes all traces of any of them ever having been there had been erased. Ali wished the rest of the mess she had created could be wiped away so easily. 

\--------------

They were at the debriefing location for several hours. She had a chance to shower the blood off her body after she gave her statement to her superiors. She couldn’t sit still – she didn’t know what was going to happen to him, to the operation and to her fucking career. In that one moment she had blown everything. 

But as scared as she was, she still preferred it to the alternative. Imagining FP’s bloody and lifeless body on the floor in front of her – she fought back tears. 

Monica came to find her pacing in the hallway. “Ok I think we’ve reached an agreement.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“He wants to tell you himself.” 

She walked into the windowless questioning room where FP was sitting at the table. He looked tired and worn down and she felt the urge to put her arms around him to comfort him. Instead she sat down at the table across from him nervously running her palms down her thighs. 

“Okay,” he said. “I’ll keep your dirty little secret. But there’s just one condition. You don’t get to disappear.”

“What?” 

“You’re going to come back to Riverdale with me and we’re going to continue this little charade.” 

“You’re crazy. Jamie will never approve that.”

“He already did. I told him that I am going to cooperate. You fucked up big time when you saved me Al. Now they’re desperate to salvage what’s left of your little operation.” He cocked his head to one side and with a smirk utterly devoid of any warmth he said, “Let’s go home, sweetheart.” 

She shivered at the way he said that last word. It was not said with affection, but rather like a threat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this plot is clear?? I tried to imply that the Ghoulies were pressuring the Serpents to start dealing more drugs but FP said no, so they recruited Tall Boy to take him out and take over.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	11. Living the Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that everything is out on the open, how will FP react?

The drive back to Riverdale was tense and seemed to take a lifetime – her mind was racing as she tried to imagine how he would act towards her now that he knew the truth. She saw his truck already parked as she pulled into to the parking spot next to the trailer. 

When she opened the door he said, “Welcome home honey.” his voice dripping with sarcasm. 

It was so strange being back in the familiar setting with so many wonderful memories, when absolutely everything had changed. 

He closed and locked the door behind her with extra force. She knew that he was about to boil over with the pent up anger she could see coursing through his body so she sat on the arm of the couch and waited for him to say something. 

When he did finally speak, his voice was quiet and controlled. “All your talk about trust and not wanting me to hide things from you and the whole time you were doing nothing but lying.”

“I didn’t lie about everything FP. I told you about my brother and it’s true what I said – I want to make sure others never have to go through what we did.” She tried to keep her voice as calm as his. “I’m just not doing it with education, I’m doing it through law enforcement.”

“The kids in the arts program, are you using them for information too?” She looked up at him quickly and he could see the answer in her face. “Jesus, don’t you have any decency?”

“Something bad is coming FP, opioids that will make Jingle Jangle look like breath mints, and we have to stop it before it gets here, before it gets to those kids. You know it’s true – that’s why Tall Boy was trying to get you out of the way. Don’t you see, we have to find out what he was planning with the Ghoulies. I’m truly sorry that I had to lie to you but I’m not going to feel bad for doing my job to keep people safe. We’re really on the same side here, we want the same thing.” 

“We are NOT on the same side, Not NOW. NOT EVER.” His voice rose to match the level of his anger. “You USED me, you used MY SON.” 

He regained his composure and sat on the couch and rested his elbows on his knees and put his head between his hands. 

“Why me? Why did they choose me for you to use?” 

“They profiled you when you were in prison. You’re an extremely intelligent and moral man FP. They were sure that you would be the first to realize when the trafficking started heating up and too moral to be apathetic about it. You don’t think you’re a good man, but you are.” 

He stood up and towered over her. “Well you’ll better pray that that’s true Ali. Because I’m in control now.” With one finger under her chin he lifted her head to hold her gaze as he said, “One word from me and you’ll find yourself in the basement of the Whyte Worm, or at the bottom of Sweetwater River.” 

She looked into his eyes, seeing none of the warmth she was used to, just ice cold hate and anger as he continued, “So I’ve been sleeping with an expensive government funded whore?” 

His words hurt and a shudder of pain ripped through her. 

“NO FP, of course not!”

“But you’re being paid to be here with me and spreading your legs whenever I want. Check with the girls working the corner down on Lafayette Street Alison, that makes you a whore.” 

She was shaking now and her voice broke as she said “Make no mistake FP, what I do with my body is MY decision, nobody else’s.” 

He looked into her red rimmed eyes for a few more seconds before turning and walking away. 

“It’s been one hell of a day. I’m going to bed, you can do whatever the fuck you want.” He went to the bedroom and slammed the door. ‘Guess that answers my question about the sleeping arrangements’ she thought to herself as she lay down on the couch and pulled the blanket over her exhausted form. 

\----------

The next morning they both began the act that they had agreed to maintain that ‘everything was normal’ with both of them heading into work for the day. Thankfully she was busy at the centre wrapping up the program for the summer. It would be a few more weeks before another “anonymous” donation would be announced for her to run an afterschool program. 

Around 4pm she received a text from him. 

Meet me at the Wyrm after work 

Normally she would have been excited to meet him and would have rushed out right at 5pm but remembering his threat of her ending up in the basement she truly had no idea what she would be walking into. She stalled for as long as she could then finally headed over to the bar at around 6:30. 

She apprehensively walked in through the front door of the Wyrm, said hi to a few people that she recognized and found him standing at the bar, probably well into his 2nd or 3rd beer she guessed. As soon as she approached him he put his arm around her and said, “There’s my beautiful girl.” 

He leaned over and gave her a deep welcoming kiss that started soft but ended up quite heated when her lips parted at his insistent tongue. He only pulled away when a few of the other guys at the bar started whistling and hooting. 

“You are one lucky bastard FP”, Johnny said. 

“I know, I am the luckiest.” He agreed with a wide grin, holding her close. 

She felt the heat from the kiss spread all over her body and it was not eased when he continued to constantly touch and caress her. As he talked with his friends his hands wandered from her back to her waist, down to her ass, then under her arm, dangerously close to the side of her breast. At one point he even pressed his full body up against her back, letting her feel the excitement he was experiencing from being so close to her. 

At the end of the night he held her hand as they walked through the parking lot back to her car. She pulled it away as soon as they arrived at the vehicle. “What the hell was that?” she hissed. 

He shrugged. “Isn’t that what we do? Pretend that we’re crazy about each other. Sorry if I didn’t do a good job, I’m not as experienced as you.” 

His verbal shot landed on target and he could see that it had the intended effect on her. Hurt, she quietly got in the car and they started for home. 

\-----------

He stayed out almost every night, sleeping at the garage she supposed, or hanging with some of the guys. She didn’t have any idea what he was doing and he wouldn’t answer any of her texts or calls. There were tell-tale signs that we was home during the day to pick up clothes or shower but other than that he was a ghost. 

He came home late one night to find her already asleep on the couch. His heart softened dangerously for a brief moment. In her sleep she looked like the beautiful young woman that he met at his garage just a few months ago. He sighed deeply. He hadn’t touched her in over a week and his body was missing her softness and warmth. 

He sat down on the edge of the couch and gently touched her golden hair. She stirred and opened her eyes a crack. She smiled up at him, “oh you’re home.” 

“Yeah, I’m home.” he said looking into her eyes and lowering his mouth to hers, tentatively at first, not sure of her reaction but smiling as she moaned a little and reached her arms up and placed them around his neck. The kiss intensified and she sat up and pulled herself up onto his lap. She evidently had missed him too. He picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. 

She thought his touch might be rough and angry but it was the opposite. He placed her down on the bed and kissed her slowly, thoroughly and lovingly. His hands slid under her top lifting it to expose her taught nipples, begging for his touch. He lowered his mouth to bite and suck her gently, leaving his mark all over her. His mouth went lower, and she opened for him so he could taste her, making her wet and ready for him to slide into her. She moaned feeling him fill her completely, the way only he could. 

He moved excruciatingly slow, pulling almost all the way out, then slowly but firmly grinding his length into her over and over again. She moaned and gasped with every thrust. “Please, she pleaded. He knew what she wanted. He used his knee to bend and lift her leg so that he could sink even more deeply inside her. Her eyes rolled back and her breath quickened as he moved faster and deeper, touching every part of her. She cried his name over and over until their bodies shuddered together. 

He was still except for his quick breathing, lying next to her. He quietly said her name. She looked at him, hopeful, her hand rested gently on his firm bicep, her thumb running over her favourite of his tattoos - a snake wrapped around a heart. 

“I don’t even know who the fuck you really are. Is Alison Cooper even your real name? Do you have a husband and kids and a perfect home somewhere?”

She sat up abruptly.  
“God, no FP. I’m exactly who you think I am, who I’ve been. It’s just my job that I lied about. Everything else that I’ve said and done and felt has been honest and truthful.”

“Don’t make it sound like you told a little white lie Alison. You pushed your way into my life to use me and my family. What was going to happen when your job was done here - were going to just leave without a trace?” 

“I don’t know!” she said, her voice shaking. “This is my first undercover case and I’m in this so deep FP. When I was in the city last month, I kissed someone else, to try to prove to myself that sex can just be physical, but I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want him, I only want you. I honestly don’t know how I thought this was going to end. I wouldn’t let myself think about it.” 

He was hurting. She wasn’t his and never was. He had allowed himself to imagine a future for them but he was just a means to an end for her. He lashed out, wanting her to hurt too. 

“Well I disagree with you – sex is just sex. I just fucked someone that I hate and I don’t trust. Maybe I have a great future as an undercover agent too.”

Hopes dashed and heartbroken she looked down and buried her face in her hands. 

He rolled away turning his back to her. Silent tears ran down her face as she left his bed to return to her spot on the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Just putting the final touches on the last chapter and epilogue so it should be posted soon.


	12. Confessions

He was gone in the morning and stayed away all the next day. 

After 48 hours with no contact she decided that she had had enough - enough of being alone and shut out. Even if he hated her, she still had a job to do and he had said he would cooperate. 

She drove to the garage and seeing the light on, she barged into the office. He spun the chair he was sitting in to face her. As she stood by the door, her chest rising and falling quickly with anger she started to fire questions at him. 

“What’s going on? Where have you been? How can we make any progress if you completely freeze me out? How can we be anything if you won’t even talk to me?”

He stood and took a step toward her, speaking with a quietly controlled voice. “What exactly do you want us to be Al? As far as I am concerned you are the manipulative liar that sleeps on my couch. I have to stay away because most of the time I’m around you I want to beat the hell out of you.” 

She rose up, drawing the line at physical intimidation. “Don’t threaten me FP.” 

“Oh believe me, I’m not going to try anything. I’ve seen you take down a man twice your size who ended up dead.” 

She slumped back against the door and was silent for a minute then she chuckled quietly, prompting him to ask, “What the hell is so funny?”

“I was just thinking. You’re the only person in this whole town who knows me. Really knows all about me. It’s actually kind of relief.” She added quietly, “and I’m glad it’s you.”

There was a time when he loved these intimate moments between them but now any connection they shared just felt like more manipulation and made him angry. He raised his voice as he said, “You know what I think is funny? The fact that I’m in love with you, you know, completely in love with you. For the first time in my god damned life I think I’ve found someone who thinks I am worth something. I think it’s the most real thing that's ever happened to me and it turns out it was all one big fucking lie. I guess it’s payback for all the terrible things I’ve done in my life. Pretty fucking hilarious don’t you think?”

She was speechless, her eyes filled with tears at his love and his pain. She wanted to reach out to him but she crossed her arms across her chest instead, holding herself still so that she did not double over from the ache that his words caused. 

She smiled sadly as she started to speak, “I was top five in my class at the academy – the best of the best. I thought I was ready to take on the world, that I was in control and I knew exactly what I was doing - but the one thing I didn’t factor in was you. I did years of elite training for undercover work, and one look from you and it was all over for me.” 

Her bottom lip started quivering, she couldn’t hold in her emotions any longer. 

“And now even though I’ve completely fucked up this operation, let down my colleagues and probably destroyed our best shot at keeping these drugs off the streets, I don’t feel any regret about saving you. To keep you here, breathing in front of me, even though you hate me more with every breath – it was worth it. You see, I’m completely and totally in love with you too.”

Their eyes locked together. Brown eyes desperately searching blue for the truth until he finally looked away.

“I wish I could believe you Alison.” 

She turned, the pain in her heart making her pause for a second before having the strength to open the door to let herself out. As she twisted the knob she said one last thing “I’m sorry FP. I knew I was breaking my own heart but I never wanted to break yours too. You don’t have to believe anything else but please believe that I am sorry for hurting you. And please know that you absolutely don’t deserve it.”

\-------------

She walked away from Riverdale that night. She called and left her parents a message and sent an email to her staff at the centre apologizing for not saying goodbye. She explained that a job offer in the city came up suddenly and she had to start right away. 

She was removed from the operation and got demoted at work. Her performance review lead to a desk job, so she spent her days viewing surveillance tapes and doing other research. Truthfully she was lucky to still have a job, her top marks from academy her only saving grace. From her windowless office she did her bit to help with a variety of investigations and waited everyday. Waited to stop missing him so much. 

\------------

Months later she heard that there had been a breakthrough in the case then a big bust made the national news. She searched all the local publications covering the bust but she couldn’t find any mention of Riverdale, or the Serpents, or the Ghoulies so she hoped that everyone was safe. There was also some regret mixed in with her relief – her contribution to the case had been so minimal - all her work had been for nothing. Hurting FP had been for nothing. 

She decided that had stayed away from Riverdale long enough. Her parents were nagging her to come home so she finally agreed to visit. She was nervous, not knowing if FP had kept her secret, she assumed there was a bounty on her head on the Southside so she would have to stay far away. 

She arrived back in Riverdale just as spring was once again returning to the quaint small town. She had a wonderful time catching up with her parents, and spent much time as possible with her nephews who had grown so much since she last saw them. After a few days of intense family time she needed a break so she decided to sneak away by herself to take in a matinee at the Jubilee. 

She was walking along Main Street when she froze – shocked to see FP walking down the steps of the courthouse with a woman. She was quite attractive with long brown hair and looked to be about his age. They paused together at the bottom of the stairs and hugged. It was a long hug – obviously full of meaning for the couple. 

She drew in a shaky breath. He had moved on - the proof was right there in front of her. She wanted to look away but she couldn’t – even though it was painful to see him pressed against the woman, she still wanted to take in every detail of the face and the strong arms that she had missed so desperately. She really hoped he was happy. 

They parted and Alison was surprised to see them head in opposite directions down the street. He was headed towards her and she realized that he would spot her if she didn’t move quickly. Just as she turned to take few sideways steps to try to take cover behind a tree, he looked up and saw her. 

She didn’t wait to see his reaction and quickly spun around and walked away from him down the street. She could hear him calling her and a few seconds later he was right next to her, reaching out to grab her arm to stop her. 

She turned to face him and slowly took in his tall frame and broad shoulders, but as she worked her way up to his face she prepared herself for the hatred she knew she would see in his dark eyes. Her eyes widened as their eyes finally met and she saw something there that she hadn’t seen since before the awful night that he found out the truth about her identity. 

“I had no idea this was going to be so easy.” he said with a smile. She flinched. It was easy for him to see her? She felt like she was going to vomit, or pass out and he thought this was a piece of cake? His hand was still holding onto her arm and his eyes wondrously searched her face as he continued “I'm so glad to see you Alison. You see I’m working on a little operation of my own these days. The first step was to finalize my divorce from Gladys. Which we just did.” He lifted up a brown envelope that he held in one hand, “We just got it signed today. Second step was to somehow try to find you, which I thought was going to be dammed near impossible, but here you are.”

“What’s the third step?” she asked cautiously. 

“To let you know that I believe you and I forgive you. Listen Al, I have no idea what is going on in your life right now but if you still want me…” He didn’t even have the chance to finish his sentence before she flew into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed into his chest. “Hey, hey don’t cry” he wiped her tears away first with his thumbs and then with his lips as he gently kissed her tears away. 

“How can this be happening? What made you change your mind?” she asked, her voice raw. 

He took her face in his hands. “Because of your warning I got wind of what was coming our way and I saw firsthand the damage that the drugs could have caused. The work you and your colleagues did made it possible to stop it before it got to Riverdale. You were right, we were on the same side.”

She closed her eyes, a stream of tears falling down her cheeks as she held in a sob of relief. 

“Once I got past my own hurt pride about being played for a fool, I just missed you so damn much.”

“I missed you too FP – every single day. I had to walk away, I couldn’t bear to hurt you anymore. I started this job because I wanted to help, not hurt people. Especially not you.” 

He crushed her into his arms, then tilted her head back and lowered his lips onto hers. The familiar softness and warmth quickly became heated as he tightly wrapped her in his arms. 

Needing to catch his breath but not willing to break contact he continued to hold her tightly, feeling her chest rise and fall quickly as she too recovered from their kiss.

He spoke gently into her ear. 

“Ali I know we have so much to talk about and figure out, but Gladys is here with JB until tomorrow. Are you free tonight? I’d love for you to meet my daughter. Jug will want to see you too – he knows what a misery his old man has been since you left.” 

“You didn’t tell him about me? You didn’t tell anyone?” 

“No, I kept your secret Ali. You said that you could never come back to Riverdale if the truth got out and I guess even when my anger towards you was all-consuming, I didn’t want to close that door forever.” She tilted her head back to look into his eyes again.

“I love you FP Jones.” Her eyes were shining with relief and gratitude. 

“I love you too.” he replied running his fingers through her hair, lost in her clear blue eyes. “We’ll figure everything else out, together. We can start again and take it slow.” He took a step back and made a bit of space between them. 

“Hi, I’m FP.” He held out his hand for her to shake. 

She grasped it and shook firmly and said, “Hi I’m Alison and it just so happens that I am free tonight.”

He smiled as he pulled her hand upwards placing it his chest, closing the gap between them. He put his hands around her waist as their bodies and lives, like the force of nature of two opposing magnets, were once again irresistibly drawn together.


	13. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five years later...

Ali stood near the back of the room watching the beautiful 16 year old girl sitting at the head table by herself. All around her, her friends and family danced and talked and laughed but she sat alone tapping away on her phone. 

Ali dug her own phone out of her tiny sparkly clutch bag and sent her a text. 

\- R u ok? 

JB looked up and glanced around the room. When she finally spotted Ali she gave her a small shrug. Ali texted her again.

\- Come outside and talk to me?

JB slowly got up from the table and snaked her way through the lavishly decorated tables towards Ali. Ali admired how elegant the young woman looked in the beautiful pink dress. It was shocking to see her in something other than her usual all-black attire but Ali smiled proudly when her gaze reached the sneakers on her feet – JB was the one bridesmaid who would not be talked into wearing heels, no matter how nicely Betty had asked.

It was an unusually warm night for late August as Ali and JB stepped outside into the sultry air.

“You seem a little quiet. Are you having fun at your brother’s wedding?”

“It’s just so strange seeing my weirdo big brother acting like such a grown up. It’s nice to see him so happy though.” she admitted. 

“You two have always had such a special bond. I’m so glad you have been able to spend your summers here in Riverdale with us.”

“Yeah, me too.” 

“You definitely have the little sister thing down, much better than I do.” She thought of her own sister who had refused to come to their cousin’s wedding today. Her strained relationship with Jess was a source of personal disappointment and professional irony since Ali now worked as a family councilor. 

Ali shook her head a little to stop any negative thoughts from taking hold. Today was a magical day – filled with so much love and hope and other good news… 

“So, I was wondering how you would feel about being a big sister?”

The teenager’s eyes widened with surprise. “Are you..?” 

Ali smiled mischievously and nodded her head but when JB started a high-pitched scream of excitement Ali had to cut short her enthusiasm. “Shhhhhh don’t say anything. I haven’t told your dad yet. I wanted him to focus on his ‘Father of the Groom’ role for today – I’ll tell him first thing tomorrow. But I’ve been dying to tell someone all day.” 

“So we’re the only two who know?” JB smiled proudly when Ali nodded again. “I won’t tell anyone, I promise.” She threw her arms around her step-mom’s neck for a heartfelt hug. 

A few minutes later FP found them still talking outside. He looked incredibly handsome in his dark suit although by now the top buttons on his shirt were unbuttoned and his jacket was sure to be next to follow his tie, which was removed almost the moment after the ceremony ended and the photos were taken. He put an arm around each of them and said, “I finally found my beautiful girls. JB, do you mind if I take Ali inside for a slow dance?” 

“Go for it Dad. Just no making out – pleeeeese.” Her eyes rolled up as she pleaded with her father not to embarrass her. 

“Sorry, I can’t promise that kiddo. Look how hot my wife is.” He grinned as he pulled Ali away. The girls shared a last conspiratorial look when Ali glanced back over her shoulder. 

When they found their place amongst the other couples on the dance floor he asked, “Have I kissed you yet today?”

“Not properly.” 

He happily obliged, letting his lips softly cover hers as he gently caressed her cheek with his thumb. As always, she melted into his embrace feeling the effects of his touch from her lips all the way down to the tips of her toes. After a few moments he reluctantly pulled away and held her close against his chest. 

“You and me on the dance floor. Does this bring you back to our big day last year?” he asked. 

“Well my parents certainly seem to having fun reacquainting themselves with the Serpent friends that they made at our wedding.” She looked over to see her dad laughing at the bar with SweetPea and across the room her mom seemed to be discussing hair colour with Toni, touching her signature pink stripe. 

He sighed contentedly, rubbing his cheek against her soft hair. “It’s been a great day my love. But I wonder if our little house is going to feel empty without Jug around?” 

“Mmmhhhmmm.” she mumbled non-committedly. ‘Not for long’ she thought to herself as they slowly moved together in time to the music.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. If you'd be so kind, leave a comment or kudo to let me know what you thought. 
> 
> Until next time,  
> xo,  
> B


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